Page:Confederate Military History - 1899 - Volume 1.djvu/309

Rh use or disuse. Southern statesmen believed that the prohibition north of 36° 30’ was extra-constitutional, and agreed to it strictly as a compromise in order to abate agitation, cement the Union and leave slavery to work out its own problem. With these views uppermost in mind the elections of 1848 had progressed in favor of a patriotic adjustment of the question of sectional equilibrium. Upon that idea Taylor s administration began.

But a rush for the gold of California in 1848 precipitated a peculiar population into that territory which poured in from the autumn of that year so rapidly as to acquire immediate civil government. These spirited adventurers, determining on political organization of some sort, convened, organized a State government, prohibited slavery by their constitution and prepared to apply for immediate admission into the Union. President Taylor recommended the admission of the State of California, and the continuance of New Mexico under the existing military government.

In the Congress of 1848-9 were Clay, Webster, Cass, Benton, Calhoun, Houston, Foote, Douglas, Jefferson Davis, Seward, Chase, Bell, Berrien, W. R. King, Hale, Hamlin, Badger, Butler of South Carolina, Mason, Hunter, Soule, Dodge, Fremont, Toombs, Stephens, and other statesmen of experience and ability to whom may be appropriately added Millard Fillmore, President of the Senate.

The question of sectional preponderance came again into hot discussion as suddenly as it had done on former occasions. But the conflict was fiercer and for a time seemed uncontrollable. Slave labor in the new territory was made the main incident of the gigantic battle. Slavery in general soon became the prominent subject of angry debate. The South found itself pressed to defend its hold upon the institution at all points. The line of North and South became again as distinctly apparent as the long and lofty crest of the Alleghany and Blue Ridge